Heavy gun.



A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

HEAVY GUN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1911. 1,01 6,21 6 Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

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A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

HEAVY GUN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1911.

1,016,216. Patented Jan.30, 1912.

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.4 ua MW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, AND JAMES HORNE, OF

BARROW-IN-FURNESS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WEST- MINSTER, ENGLAND.

HEAVY GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 30, 1911.

Patented Jan. 30,1912.

Serial No. 652,190.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR TREVOR DAW- SON, knight, and J AMES HORNE, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing, respectively, at Vickers House, Broadway, Vestminster, in the county of London, England, and Naval Construction WVorks, Barrow-in-Furness, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Heavy Guns, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to the air blast gear of heavy guns of the kind in which the breech mechanism is operated by a motor or by a hand wheel carried by a nonrecoiling part of the gun.

The present invention has for its chief object to provide heavy guns of this kind with improved means for injecting into the gun breech a jet or jets of compressed air or other suitable fluid during the opening of the breech for the purpose of obviating the backward rush of flame or hot gases and of effectually clearing the bore of the gun of any combustible matter which may remain therein after firing as is well understood.

According to our invention, the valve for controlling the supply of compressed air or other fluid to the breech, is carried by the slide frame or other suitable non-recoiling part of the gun and is under the influence of controlling mechanism also carried by a non-recoiling part of the gun and so constructed and arranged that the movement of the breech actuating motor or hand wheel in opening the breech, automatically opens the said valve to admit the compressed air to the breech. The said controlling mechanism for the valve may comprise a cam mounted on the slide frame and operated from the breech actuating mechanism, the said cam being adapted to displace suitable lever mechanism to open the said valve during the opening of the breech and to retain it open until the said mechanism is disconnected from the active portion of the said cam.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into efiect, we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the breech actuating mechanism and our improvements applied thereto, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional elevations on an enlarged scale of the control valve and its control ling mechanism, the parts being in the position they respectively occupy when the breech is closed, when the breech is nearly opened, and when the operating mechanism is displaced to close the control valve.

A is the breech end of the gun, A the carrier, B the slide frame, 0 the control valve, D the breech actuating motor and D the breech actuating hand-wheel.

The breech actuating motor D and the hand wheel D are connected with the carrier through the intervention of the usual longitudinally arranged shaft D which carries a worm (Z gearing with a worm wheel cl mounted on the gun slide B. The said worm wheel is attached to the cam d which cooperates with a spring controlled lever C forming part of the valve operating mechanisin. The lever is pivotally attached to one arm 0 of a bell crank lever C carried by the gun slide, and the other arm 0 is in contact with the outer end of the stem of the control valve C. The valve casing C is formed with an inlet port 0 which is connected with the passages 0* in the breech end of the gun by means of a pipe C having a flexible portion 0 to allow for the recoil movement of the gun. When the breech actuating motor D commences to open the breech (which operation may take place during the run out movement of the gun) the cam d is angularly displaced through the medium of the aforesaid shaft D and the worm and worm wheel gearing cl, (Z. The contour of the cam is such that at a definite and pre-arranged point in the opening of the breech, the aforesaid spring controlled lever C cooperating therewith is lifted and the bell crank lever C connected thereto is thereby displaced to cause the arm 0 to open the valve C and admit the compressed air to the breech. hen the breech has been fully opened the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the valve C still open. The said valve can be closed when desired by displacing the said spring controlled lever C by hand about its pivotal connection with the arm 0 of the bell crank lever C the lower end of the said spring controlled lever is thereby moved out of contact with the op crating portion of the cam, and the spring of the control valve C combined With the pressure of the air on the head of the said valve, then displaces the valve to cut off the supply of air, and moves the lever G into the position shoWn in Fig. 4.

The contour of the cam (Z may if desired be of such a character that When the breech is fully open a depression in the cam surface lies opposite the lower end of the spring controlled lever C to allow the valve to close automatically When the breech is fully open.

As a result of our improvements, a safer and more convenient position is afforded to the operator and the breech of the gun is rendered less complex than if the valve and itscontrolling mechanism Were carried by the gun, the said mechanism being in consequence of a more substantial and satisfactory construction. Furthermore the operation of the mechanism does not depend on the gun being fully run out, and it operates With either poWer or hand actuation of the breech mechanism.

WVhat We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination With the breech actuating mechanism and the slide frame of the gun, of a control valve mounted on the slide frame, controlling mechanism for said valve also mounted on the slide frame, means carried by the slide frame for operating said breech actuating mechanism, and gearing for transmitting movement from said means to the controlling mechanism.

2. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination with the breech actuating mechanism and the slide frame of the gun, of a control valve mounted on the slide frame, means carried by the slide frame for operating said breech actuating mechanism, a cam mounted on the slide frame and operated from said means, and means for transmitting movement from the cam to the control valve.

3. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination with the breech actuating mechanism and the slide frame of the gun, of a control valve mounted on the slide frame, means carried by the slide frame for operating said breech actuating mechanism, a sliding shaft operated by said means, a Worm slidably keyed thereon, a Worm Wheel gearing with said Worm and mounted on the slide frame, a cam connected to said Worm Wheel and lever mechanism for transmitting movement from the cam to the control valve. 7

4c. In air blast gear for ordnance, the combination With the breech actuating mechanism and the slide frame of the gun, of a control valve mounted on the slide frame, means carried by the slide frame for operating said breech actuating mechanism, a sliding shaft operated by said means, a Worm slidably keyed thereon, a Worm Wheel gearing With said Worm and mounted on the slide frame, a cam connected to said Worm Wheel, a two-armed lever pivoted to the slide frame, a projecting stem of the control valve in contact With one'arm of said lever, and a hand lever pivoted on the other arm in contact With the cam. v

In testimony whereof We affix, our signatures in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAVSON. JAMES HORNE.

Witnesses to signature of Arthur Trevor Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. G. 

